New Judson High School already crowded

Growing district has lots of students, not much space.

By Lindsay Kastner :
May 27, 2012
: Updated: May 27, 2012 10:17pm

Students make their way down a crowded stairwell at Judson High School on Wednesday, May 23, 2012, during the lunch hour. The school enrolls about 400 more students than its 3,100 student capacity and is expected to have an enrollment of 4,153 by the fall of 2014.

Photo By John Davenport/San Antonio Express-News

Students make their way through a crowded hall at Judson High School on Wednesday, May 23, 2012, during the lunch hour. The school enrolls about 400 more students than its 3,100 student capacity and is expected to have an enrollment of 4,153 by the fall of 2014.

Photo By John Davenport/San Antonio Express-News

Students crowd into the cafeteria at Judson High School on Wednesday, May 23, 2012. The school enrolls about 400 more students than its 3,100 student capacity and is expected to have an enrollment of 4,153 by the fall of 2014.

Photo By John Davenport/San Antonio Express-News

Students eat lunch in the cafeteria at Judson High School on Wednesday, May 23, 2012. The school enrolls about 400 more students than its 3,100 student capacity and is expected to have an enrollment of 4,153 by the fall of 2014.

Photo By John Davenport/San Antonio Express-News

Portable buildings like this one directly in front of Judson High School are being erected because of overcrowding. Voters rejected a $71.7 million bond proposal to build a third high school less than two years ago.

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Several Judson ISD schools are over capacity:

• Converse Elementary

• Coronado Elementary

• Hartman Elementary

• Salinas Elementary

• Judson High School

• Wagner High School

Judson High School, a building so new it's — well, not 100 percent finished — already so crowded that portable classrooms are set up outside the building. School board members expect to hear from district staff next month about the situation, but some trustees say there are few options for relief.

This year 3,504 students are enrolled at Judson, which has enough classrooms for just 3,100. The building's common areas, such as the library and cafeteria, were built with an enrollment of only 2,750 in mind.

The crush of extra kids can especially be felt when it's time to change classes.

“It's almost like seeing a small city move in five minutes,” said Principal Jesus Hernandez III.

The rebuilt Judson High opened in 2010, built with more than $99 million in funds from the district's 2006 bond program. When it became clear that more room would be needed, the district planned for an additional classroom wing, which meant more students putting stress on core areas that weren't designed for the extra influx.

At lunchtime, Hernandez said, the students rely heavily on outdoor seating. But when the weather is bad, everyone sits inside — around 875 kids in a room built for 700.

Judson High is not the only crowded school in the steadily growing district, but operations director Dan Kershner said it is “absolutely” the most packed of the six campuses that are currently over capacity. Another problem: the district has only one other comprehensive high school — Wagner High School — and there's no extra room there, either.

The finishing touches are still being applied at Judson, which was only partially complete when it opened in August 2010. An occupancy permit to allow students full use of the building wasn't granted until October of that year. A few weeks later, voters turned down a $71.2 million bond proposal for a third comprehensive high school.

“There's really nothing to do but put portables out there,” said trustee Steve Salyer. He said he considers portable buildings a waste of money because they have a short life span and are paid for out of the district's operations fund, the same money that is used for teacher salaries.

“We need a bond. I'll say it,” Salyer said.

Without one, Kershner said, the district's demographic projections mean the likely addition of two to four portable classrooms per year at Judson.

Wagner and Judson have a combined capacity of 5,300 students, and by the fall of 2013 the district expects to have more than 6,300 students enrolled at the two campuses.

Hernandez said he's working to reduce the number of students in each science class, where lab space is at a premium, and would be sorry to see any of his students sent to another school.

“I really enjoy my kids,” he said. “I would love to see them stay here.”